Wednesday, April 13, 2011

CIVIL WAR ANCESTORY, OR LACK OF THEM.

I am reading quite a lot of information that everyone has been posting about their Civil War ancestors. I am really learning a lot. It was the bloodiest war that this nation has ever had.
I read in someone’s journal or perhaps another article, that the population of the USA at that time was about 31,000,000 and that about 1,000,000 men were involved in the war, on both sides. That number of lives lost was mind boggling in the sheer scale of he deaths and wounded. How many lives were changed forever, and how many people would never be.
I do not have one Civil War ancestor. It is difficult to believe when I read how many people write about their own. My great grandfather, Patrick O’Rourke and great grandmother Ellen Mortel came to America in 1872. My great grandfather, Thomas Dowd arrived in 1880 and his wife to be, Bridget Naughton in 1888.

My German side was comprised by my grandparents Willi Schridde, Anna Bartels and my mother Gerda who arrived in New York in 1926.. I am a first generation American with a lot of company in that category with people from varying lands who all want to be part of the American dream. Many who leave to find a better life, to escape tyranny and want to find freedom for themselves and their families.

I am uncovering Civil War ancestors of my husband and now my daughter. So far I have found two, Robert Stephens and Darius Anthony, both of Pennsylvania. Darius died in the war and Robert died in 1913. Find them has only been recent with my research in genealogy. I hope to find more information in the next four years about them.

4 comments:

To many families had Civil War Vets. I have them on both sides of my family and also my husbands family. most of my family came in the early years of America and were in the Rev. War and the Indian Wars also. Our families are Irish, English, Welch, and French. History is so interesting, but like most puzzles, it takes so much time to get it right. I hope you are enjoying this adventure. Mary

me too, I was just to busy taking care of our children...it never dawned on me that I would want to know family history. So I do devote a lot of time to it now. I am trying to make a book for my children and grandchildren...so they won't have to do this. Mary

I never thought I'd enjoy doing the Civil War research like I have. It's heartbreaking to discover families that have lost loved ones and all of their material possessions and had to rebuild, but they did it. It gives us some hope, doesn't it?

About Me

I live in Western PA. I have been working on my genealogy since 2007 or so. I became interested when closing my fathers belonging and wondering about the papers I had found related to my ancestors.
If you are related to any of my ancestors, please email me
cjsperl@gmail.com